Hydraulic jib

ABSTRACT

A dielectric jib at the end of a hydraulically operated boom in which the jib is slidably supported in a sleeve, the sleeve being connected to a rotatable bushing surrounding a shaft extending to the boom. The bushing is connected on the inside of the boom to a hydraulic actuator for rotation. The bushing is also drilled with hydraulic passages for providing hydraulic power to operate a winch for raising and lowering a hook on the end of the jib and also for powering an actuator such as a double acting hydraulic piston for sliding the jib back and forth in the sleeve.

United States Patent [1 1 Coutinho Aug. 13, 1974 HYDRAULIC JIB [76] inventor: John Coutinho, Chester Tnpk., Primary Exammer Rlchard Schacher Auburn, NH 03032 [22] Filed: Apr. 10, 1973 21 Appl. NO.Z 349,765

[52] US. Cl 212/144, 182/2, 212/59 R [51] Int. Cl. B66c 23/68 [58] Field of Search 2l2/l44, 59 R, 66, 67; 182/2 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,099,358 7/1963 Clark 2l2/67 3,527,362 /1970 Allen 212/59 3,542,068 l2/l970 Prescott l 182/2 3,554,395 l/l97l Dunbar 2l2/59 3,690,408 9/l972 Reske et a]. 182/2 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 118,294 4/1958 U.S.S.R 2l2/67 Assistant Examiner-Jeffrey V. Nase Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Thomas N. Tarrant [57] ABSTRACT A dielectric jib at the end of a hydraulically operated boom in which the jib is slidably supported in a sleeve, the sleeve being connected to a rotatable bushing surrounding a shaft extending to the boom. The bushing is connected on the inside of the boom to a hydraulic actuator for rotation. The bushing is also drilled with hydraulic passages for providing hydraulic power to operate a winch for raising and lowering a hook on the end of the jib and also for powering an actuator such as a double acting hydraulic piston for sliding the jib back and forth in the sleeve.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEUMIGI arm I 33%8'941 sum 2 or z Tic fj.

HYDRAULIC JIB BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to vehicles carrying extendable booms for raising or lowering men and/or materials to elevated portions of posts, towers, trees, etc. and particularly to jibs utilized on a boom end to facilitate manipulative control.

2. Relation to the Prior Art The last two decades have seen a sudden rise of vehicles carrying folding or telescoping booms terminating with crows nests to facilitate and increase the safety of men working on elevated structures. These vehicles have proven a great asset to the power companies and telephone companies in installing and servicing wires, cables, transformers, and other components and materials supported on telephone poles or the like. Some of these materials, particularly components such as transformers, are too heavy to be handled manually and the end of the boom has insufficient facilities for manipulation to handle these components efficiently. A substantial hazard is also frequently present in the nature of high voltage electrical power. To increase the safety and efficiency of operation, a relatively small dielectric jib has been added to the end of the booms on some of these vehicles, the jib being capable of both back and forth and up and down movement and carrying a winch line and hook for connecting to, raising and lowering components up to several hundreds of pounds of weight. By making the jib of insulated material such as fiberglass and using nylon line on the winch, a considerable amount of the electrical hazard is avoided.

Up to the present time, these jibs have been operated almost entirely by manual effort. While hydraulic power is readily available at the end of the boom, it is difficult to connect it to perform the three desired operations without excessive exposure of flexible hydraulic lines raising the danger of rupturing hydraulic lines by snagging or abrasion. The three necessary operations are rotation of the jib to raise and lower its outer end, sliding and jib back and forth, and operation of the winch.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Now in accordance with the present invention, a dielectric jib for extendable boom vehicles is provided capable of complete hydraulic operation. A rotatable bushing titted around a shaft extended through the end of the extendable boom supports a sleeve carrying the jib. The bushing is rotated by a hydraulic actuator coacting with the bushing on the interior of the boom. Hydraulic passages drilled through the bushing permit all flexing of hydraulic hoses due to rotation of the jib to be taken up by hoses enclosed in the end of the boom. The hydraulic passages drilled in the bushing are connected outside of the boom to nonflexing hydraulic lines connected to a winch actuator for raising and lowering a line and to a further hydraulic actuator for slidably retracting and extending the jib through its sup porting sleeve.

Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a completely hydraulically manipulated jib on the end of an extendable mobile boom.

It is a further object of the invetnion to provide hydraulic actuation for rotating and extending a jib on the end of an extendable boom as well as hydraulically operate a winch secured to said jib using hydraulic lines of which the only flexing portions are enclosed in the end of the boom.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a drilled bushing for both rotatably supporting a jib and for carrying hydraulic fluid to hydraulic actuators mounted on said jib.

Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following description together with the drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle carrying an extendable boom and jib in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the end of the boom in FIG. 1 showing the jib attached thereto.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along 3-3 through the jib and boom of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an interior view of the boom taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation similar to FIG. 2 showing the jib extended and rotated.

FIG. 6 is a front elevation partially in section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 2 showing the winch and only a fragment of the boom.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The purpose of the present invention is to provide complete hydraulic operation of a jib attached to an extendable boom on a vehicle.

FIG. 1 depicts vehicle 10 carrying folding extendable boom 11. Bucket 12 is supported at the end of boom 11 for carrying an operator. On the opposite side of boom 11 from bucket 12 is jib 14 for increasing manipulative capability. Mounted adjacent to bucket 12 on boom 11 are hydraulic control valves 13 (see FIG. 3) which are operable for hydraulically extending and rotating boom 11. Included in these control valves are control valves for extending and rotating jib l4 and also raising and lowering line 15 by operation of winch 16 mounted with jib 14.

Jib 14 and the end of boom 11 are depicted in more detail in FIG. 2. Shaft 17 passes through boom 11 and supports bucket 12 on one end. As depicted in FIG. 2, the other end of shaft 17 supports a rotatable bushing 18 upon which is mounted sleeve 20. Sleeve 20 carries jib 14 so that jib 14 may slide back and forth therein. Sleeve 20 is suitably fashioned from sheet metal and is depicted as welded to collar 21 surrounding bushing 18. Alternatively, sleeve 20 may be welded directly to bushing 18. Mounted upon sleeve 20 is double acting hydraulic cylinder 22 having telescoping piston rod 24. The end of jib 14, which extends down boom 11, carries fitting 25 for securing end 26 of piston rod 24. The other end of jib 14 carries a further fitting 27 supporting one or more sheave 28. Both the end of boom 11 and jib 14 are preferably made of fiberglass or similar electrically insulating material to reduce electrical hazard. Hydraulic cylinder 22 is depicted as being on top of sleeve 20. However, it may be positioned on the side of sleeve 20 or even inside sleeve 20 provided a slot is made in jib 14 for passing around hydraulic cylinder 22. Bearing rings made of nylon or other suitable bearing material are secured inside sleeve as bearings for jib 14.

In FIG. 2 the bed plate 31 of winch 16 is depicted as welded to support plate of sleeve 20. However, bed plate 31 can be welded or otherwise secured directly to bushing 18. Winch 16 carries Windlass 32 for reeling and unreeling line 15 which is commonly and preferably nylon or a similarly strong synthetic dielectric fiber line which extends around sheave 28 in fitting 27 and conveniently terminates with hook 35 or other fastening means. Winch 16 also includes hydraulic motor 36 driving Windlass 32 through worm and spur gears enclosed in gear box 34. Hydraulic lines 37 for operation of hydraulic cylinder 22 are supplied through drilled connecting lines 38 and 40 in bushing 18. Similarly hydraulic lines 41 for operation of hydraulic motor 36 are connected to connecting lines 42 and 43 drilled in bushing 18.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view showing shaft 17 passing through the end of boom 11. Bucket 12, although not depicted in FIG. 3, would be mounted on shaft 17 extending beyond the right of the figure. Gear 45 mounted on shaft 17 is connected with further gears and shafts (not shown) inside boom 11 for the purpose fo maintaining bucket 12 level. Bushing 18 is mounted on shaft 17 to the left as depicted and is freely rotatable on shaft 17 on bearings that are not shown. Bushing 18 is further supported by bearing 46 mounted on boom 11. A portion of bushing 18 extends inside boom 11 and is secured to a sprocket 47 for rotation.

Windlass 32 having axle 56 is mounted coaxially with gear box 34. One end of axle 56 is supported by gear box 34 and the other end by a bearing in flange 53. Flange 53 depends downwardly from bed plate 31 and is suitably secured thereto by a weld. Gear box 34 is supported by metal straps 54 and 55 depending downwardly from bed plate 31 with their wide surfaces perpendicular to flange 53. Straps 54 and 55 are suitably welded to bed plate 31 and bolted or screwed to gear box 34. Hydraulic motor 36 is bolted to gear box 34 by pair of flanges 57.

Bushing 18 is rotatable by two hydraulic cylinders 60 and 61 as can be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. Hydraulic supply lines 62 are connected to cylinders 60 and 61. Hydraulic drain lines 64 are connected'to the opposite ends of cylinders 60 and 61. Piston rods 65 and 66 of cylinders 60 and 61 are connected to opposite ends of chain 67 passing around sprocket 47. Thus operation of cylinder 60 rotates jib 14 up as shown in FIG. 5 and operation of cylinder 61 .rotates jib 14 down.

FIG. 5 depicts the operation of the jib showing the jib extended by action of hydraulic cylinder 22 and tilted up by rotation of bushing 18.

FIG. 6 shows the details of Windlass 32.

Control valves 13, shown in FIG. 3 as mounted on boom 11, are desirably mounted on a sector plate secured to shaft 17 between boom 11 and bucket 12. This would permit control valves 13 to rotate with the bucket. Additional valves are mounted behind those shown.

While the invention has been described with relation to a specific embodiment numerous variations therefrom are contemplated as within the inventive concepts. For example, double acting hydraulic cylinder 22 exposes considerable electrically conductive surface. Various approaches for reducing this include: insulated housing; dielectric piston rod 24; or instead of a hydraulic cylinder, use of a second winch mounted on sleeve 20 carrying a stretch-resistant dielectric line such as polypropylene attached to opposite ends of jib 14. Other hydraulic arrangements for rotation of jib 14 are contemplated and may be either insideor outside boom 11. For example, a single double acting hydraulic cylinder may be connected to bushing 18 by a lever. The chain and sprocket arrangement described has the advantage of adaptability to any desired degrees of rotation by increasing the length and throw of the cylinders.

It is also contemplated that, while flexible hoses inside boom 11 are well suited to accommodate usual rotation of bushing 18, a rotating collar may be used with complete elimination of flexible lines. In such an arrangement the entrance apertures to the drilled passages in bushing 18 would be situtated spaced along the axis of bushing 18. The rotating collar would have matching spaced apertures for external connection. Internal 360 grooves would permit flow between the matching apertures at any rotational position. Thus it will be recognized that the disclosed embodiment is only a presently preferred example and it is intended to cover the invention within the full scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle carrying a hydraulically operated boom and a jib secured to the end of said boom. the combination with said jib for manipulating said jib and loads supported thereby comprising:

a. A rotatable shaft passing through the end of said boom;

b. an independently rotatable bushing around said shaft where it passes through one side of said boom;

0. a sleeve mounted externally to said boom on top of said bushing;

d. a jib supported slidablyin and extending through both ends of said sleeve;

e. hydraulic actuating means for rotating said sleeve and said jib about said shaft; and,

f. a sheave mounted at the end of said a line for securing a load.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said bushing is rotated to effect rotation of said jib and a personnel bucket is mounted on said shaft at the other side of said boom, said bucket being independently rotatable by said shaft to maintain attitude.

3. The combination according to claim 2 in which said hydraulic actuating means is mounted on the interior of said boom.

4. The combination according to claim 3 in which said bushing is rotated by a chain and sprocket driven by two hydraulic cylinders.

5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said bushing is drilled for hydraulic lines and supply lines for hydraulic devices associated with said jib exterior to said boom pass from the interior of said boom and through said bushing for connection to said devices.

6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said devices include second hydraulic means for extending and retracting said jib relative to said boom.

7. The combination according to claim 6 in which said second hydraulic means is a double acting cylinder mounted on said sleeve with its piston rod connected jib supporting to said jib at the opposite end from that carrying said sheave.

8. In a vehicle carrying an hydraulically controllable boom (11) and a jib (14) secured to the end of the boom. (11) the combination with said jib (14) comprising:

A. First hydraulic actuator means (606l) mounted within the end of said boom (11) and connected to drive a rotatable support (18, 20) directly supporting said jib (14);

b. second hydraulic actuator means (22) secured to said rotatable support (18, 20) and connected to said jib (14 at 25) for extending and retracting said jib (14) relative to said boom (11); and,

c. third hydraulic actuator means (36) mounted on said rotatable support (18, 31) connected to and driving a winch (16) mounted on said rotatable support, (18, 31) said winch. (l6) carryihg a line passing over a sheave (28) on an end of said 6 jib (14) for raising, lowering and supporting loads from the end of the said jib (14), all whereby said jib (14) may be remotely and precisely controlled to facilitate manipulations at the end of said boom l l 9. The combination according to claim 8 wherein said jib is mounted on a bushing rotatable about a shaft passing through said boom, said bushing containing drilled passages for hydraulic supply lines passing from the interior of said boom to devices associated with said jib.

10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein said first hydraulic actuator rotates said jib through a chain and sprocket, said second hydraulic actuator is a double acting hydraulic cylinder mounted on a sleeve integral with said bushing and slidably supporting said jib and said third hydraulic actuator is an hydraulic motor geared to drive said winch. 

1. In a vehicle carrying a hydraulically operated boom and a jib secured to the end of said boom, the combination with said jib for manipulating said jib and loads supported thereby comprising: a. A rotatable shaft passing through the end of said boom; b. an independently rotatable bushing around said shaft where it passes through one side of said boom; c. a sleeve mounted externally to said boom on top of said bushing; d. a jib supported slidably in and extending through both ends of said sleeve; e. hydraulic actuating means for rotating said sleeve and said jib about said shaft; and, f. a sheave mounted at the end of said jib supporting a line for securing a load.
 2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said bushing is rotated to effect rotation of said jib and a personnel bucket is mounted on said shaft at the other side of said boom, said bucket being independently rotatable by said shaft to maintain attitude.
 3. The combination according to claim 2 in which said hydraulic actuating means is mounted on the interior of said boom.
 4. The combination according to claim 3 in which said bushing is rotated by a chain and sprocket driven by two hydraulic cylinders.
 5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said bushing is drilled for hydraulic lines and supply lines for hydraulic devices associated with said jib exterior to said boom pass from the interior of said boom and through said bushing for connection to said devices.
 6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said devices include second hydraulic means for extending and retracting said jib relative to said boom.
 7. The combination according to claim 6 in which said second hydraulic means is a double acting cylinder mounted on said sleeve with its piston rod connected to said jib at the opposite end from that carrying said sheave.
 8. In a vehicle (10) carrying an hydraulically controllable boom (11) and a jib (14) secured to the end of the boom. (11) the combination with said jib (14) comprising: A. First hydraulic actuator means (60-61) mounted within the end of said boom (11) and connected to drive a rotatable support (18, 20) directly supporting said jib (14); b. second hydraulic actuator means (22) secured to said rotatable support (18, 20) and connected to said jib (14 at 25) for extending and retracting said jib (14) relative to said boom (11); and, c. third hydraulic actuator means (36) mounted on said rotatable support (18, 31) connected to and driving a winch (16) mounted on said rotatable support, (18, 31) said winch (16) carryihg a line (15) passing over a sheave (28) on an end of said jib (14) for raising, lowering and supporting loads from the end of the said jib (14), all whereby said jib (14) may be remotely and precisely controlled to facilitate manipulations at the end of said boom (11).
 9. The combination according to claim 8 wherein said jib is mounted on a bushing rotatable about a shaft passing through said boom, said bushing containing drilled passages for hydraulic supply lines passing from the interior of said boom to devices associated with said jib.
 10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein said first hydraulic actuator rotates said jib through a chain and sprocket, said second hydraulic actuator is a double acting hydraulic cylinder mounted on a sleeve integral with said bushing and slidably supporting said jib and said third hydraulic actuator is an hydraulic motor geared to drive said winch. 